The treatment of ailments with medication has always been a duty and obligation of a "medically trained" segment of a society, such as primitive "medicine men". Magic and religion played a large part in this early medical treatment. Eventually, with the development of writing, the knowledge and authority of the medical practitioner in each society became more evident, particularly in the region of Babylon, as expressed in the Code of Hammurabi. The Code included laws relating to medical practice. The duties and responsibilities of the physicians were made explicit, even to the extent of requiring a physician's hand to be cut off if his patient died after certain treatment had been administered by the physician.
In any society, it has always been a matter of great concern among the medically indoctrinated members whether a person receiving a medical treatment will actually carry out a suggested treatment when not in the presence of the medical member. Prescriptions of medicines to be taken later have always been subject to neglect, forgetfulness, or even worse, consumption of multiple dosages through lapse of memory.
The modern custom has been to supply a patient with a medication and rely upon the patient to follow the written instructions placed thereon in taking the medication at the proper times and to be able to open the medication container. Sometimes the patient's own ailments interfere with either remembering the times specified for each dose or with the ability to open a container, especially where the patient lives alone. Added to the seriousness of the need to comply with the schedule prescribed for each medication is the recognition that many medications being prescribed today are extremely powerful for their immediate purpose and for their potential side effects, and, either multiple dosages or omitted dosages can be extremely harmful to the patient.
In recent years, with the sophistication of precision-designed mechanical and electronic apparatus, the problem of efficiently and carefully dispensing medications under better-controlled conditions has received a great deal of attention. The prior art discloses many dispensing systems which have attempted to provide adequate controls for assuring the patient and the physician that the medication is being administered according to the designated schedule.
I have found in the prior art the following United States patents for various form of medication dispensing systems and controls:
______________________________________ U.S. 3,998,356 Christensen Dec. 21, 1976 U.S. 4,130,881 Haessler et al Dec. 19, 1978 U.S. 4,258,354 Carmon et al March 24, 1981 U.S. 4,267,942 Wick, Jr. et al May 19, 1981 U.S. 4,275,384 Hicks et al June 23, 1981 U.S. 4,281,330 Warrick July 28, 1981 U.S. 4,360,125 Martindale et al Nov. 23, 1982 U.S. 4,616,316 Hanpeter et al Oct. 7, 1986 U.S. 4,626,105 Miller Dec. 2, 1986 U.S. 4,630,125 Roetling Dec. 16, 1986 U.S. 4,664,289 Shimizu et al May 12, 1987 U.S. 4,686,624 Blum et al Aug. 11, 1987 U.S. 4,695,954 Rose et al Sept. 22, 1987 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,356 to Christensen describes a medication dispensing apparatus comprising a plurality of medication magazines which may be electronically programmable for dispensing the medication contents. Each magazine has an opening over which a compartment of the magazine may be rotated to dispense the contents of that compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,881 to Haessler et al describes an automated medical history taking system which includes means for presenting by stored program control a plurality of questions and answers has related to prior steps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,354 to Carmon et al describes a portable alarm device including medicine storage housing. The alarm may be programmed to advise the user of particular times for taking prescribed medicines. An opaque film strip is employed for programming the medication schedule.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,942 to Wick. Jr. et al describes a restricted pharmaceutical storage and dispensing cabinet including a recording system for automatic accountability of items dispensed as well as the date and time of removal and identification of the recipient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,384 to Hicks et al describes a portable medicine cabinet which may be carried around by the user. The cabinet contains a multiplicity of compartments into each of which the user places the proper vial of medicine. The user then follows the instructions in programming each compartment to open at the prescribed time and activate an alarm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,330 to Warrick describes a device for recording and monitoring medical procedures, particularly as to procedures occurring while the device is peripheral to a medical process instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,125 to Martindale et al describes a medication dispenser which comprises a housing containing the medication and a microcomputer and related components. A visual signal is given the patient and the patient is permitted to open a door of the housing to remove medication. Upon opening the door, a record is implanted in the microcomputer of the time of opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,316 to Hanpeter et al describes a medication dispensing and monitoring system in which medication is contained in a blister pack having each blister connected to a memory circuit. When a blister is ruptured for removal of medication, the electronic connection is also ruptured and the memory circuit stores the time of rupture. The electronic circuit addresses each individual trace periodically to determine if it is still intact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,105 to Miller describes a medication dispenser having a plurality of dispensing compartments with each compartment having a separate control panel. Each control panel includes indicators showing morning start up time and interval between medications. Also included is an alarm to alert patient to take the medication.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,125 to Roetling describes a method of reconstructing a continuous tone image of greyscale values that have been converted to a halftone image of black and white spots.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,289 to Shimizu et al describes a medication dispensing apparatus which includes a plurality of drug dispensing cartridges, each controllable to dispense a drug dosage to a common collection portion for packaging.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,624 to Blum et al describes a portable apparatus for processing information relative to the health of a person. Instructions and data pertaining to certain foods are entered in an ROM. Qualitative and quantitative data relating to a meal are entered in an RAM. A computer compares, evaluates, and displays data in the ROM and RAM on a screen for the user of the apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,954 to Rose et al describes a modular medication dispensing system comprising memory means programmable to receive prescription data and dispenser means for dispensing medications in response to data stored in the memory means. A hospital medication dispenser includes a control module and peripheral equipment. The medication dispenser includes a microprocessor which receives, interfaced with a transducer, data from a prescription card. In a home medication dispenser all the electrical and electro-mechanical systems are contained within one unit, including the microprocessor which receives prescription data and actuates a series of individual compartments in response to prescription data as well as audio and visual alarms.